Rail-joint.



A. MADARASZ & F. ABRAHAM.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1914. 5 Patented NOV. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

gwvemroz w vilueoow din Gum Mu THE NORRIS PETERS c0. PHOTO-Luna. WASHINCIUN. u. c.

A. MADARKSZ & F. ABRAHAM. f

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED me. 6, 1914.

1 1 1 5,703. Patented M13, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SEHEET 2.

.Fig. 6.

Fig.7. 7

lmitmwoeo fl-Madarasz @MW I W ANTON MADARASZ AND FRANK ABRAHAM, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGANL RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 6, 1914. Serial No. 855,563.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ANTON MAn RAsz and FRANK ABRAHAM, subjects of the King of Hungary, residing at Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rail joints and more especially to mechanically locking rail joints.

in object of the invention is to provide plate-receiving members for positioning the adjacent rail ends therebetween, one of said plates having shiftable Wedges adapted for engaging the adjacent rail faces and locking the rails together thereby.

A further ob 'ect of the device is to provide a frame for mounting thereon the ends of adjacent rails, the frame having a slidable flange for engaging one side of the rail and automatically locked in its engaging position. I v V A still further object is to provide a frame for receiving the adjacent ends of rails therein and slidable wedge members within the frame for engaging against and firmly locking the said ends within the frame.

With these general objects in View and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more' fully 'described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part'of this application and in which like-designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the severalviews, Figure 1. is aside elevation view of adjacent rail ends with the device mounted thereon partially broken away. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof with the rail webshown in horizontal section. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view thereof. Fig. 4 is a side ele-v vation of the central portion of the assem bled construction and upon the other side thereof from that illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of the central portion of the slidable' removable flange. Fig. 6 is an inner side elevation of the main frame member with the removable flange detached. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view thereof with the rail ends in their locked positions and also shown inlongitudinal section, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the rail locking means detached. I a

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the rail ends 10 and 11 are disclosed as mounted upon the base plate 12 of. the rail oint or frame, and having the fixed flange 13 of the frame positioned in contactwith the adjacent face of the rail web 1 1 and with the top edge of said flange fitting neaththe tread portion 15 thereof.

A movable flange 16 is provided with adepending dove-tail flange or rib 17 adjacent its outer edge, which flange is adapted for slid- Patented Nov. 3, 1914..

ing reception Within the longitudinal dove- 1 .tail slot 18, positioned longitudinally of'and adjacent the outer free edge of said base plate 12. The plate 12 is providedwith a centrally positioned socket 1.9 in its upper face, which intercepts the groove 18 as best illustrated in Fig.7, the inner side of said socket being open adjacent the said groove. A spring latch 20 1s securedto the outer face of the removable flange 16 and is positioned within a longitudinal. groove 21 thereof. A, depending bolt 22 carried by the free end of the latch 20 at all times projects through.

a perforation 23 at the end of the groove 21, and by; reason of the resiliency of they latch, the bolt 22 enters the socket 19 when the flange 16 is slidably positioned in its as-.

sembled relation upon the base 12, and at which time the ends of said flange and of the carrying frame are in the same planes. A: pin 24 upon the upper side of the latch 20 is adapted to be grasped for elevating the latch and disengaging the bolt from its socket, and whereupon the flange 16 may be readily removed, it being seen that in the locked position, the bolt 22 projects inwardly from the interrupted portion of the side wall of the socket 19, and slides within a curved indentation 25 of the adjacent side of the flange 17.

The permanent flange 13 has a longitudinal groove 26 on its inner face with the end portions of said groove having oppositelyv inclined inner faces 27, while lOIlgltlldlIlfillY,

extending perforations 28 are provided through the end walls of the groove 26.,

Oppositely positioned wedges 29 are slidably mounted within the groove 26 and have inclined faces 30 engaging the inclined walls 2?, while the opposite faces of said wedges are provided with teeth 31. The outer ends all of the wedges have cylindrical studs projecting therefrom, which are slidably mounted through the said perforations 28, which thereby act as guides for the wedges.

a rocker block 33 is mounted centrally within the groove 26 fixedly to the inner end of a cylindrical journal 3% revolubly mounted througl'i a per oration of the fixed flange. The opposite ends of the block 33 have links 36 pivoted thereto at their inner circle while the outer ends of said links are pivoted to the inner ends of the wedges 29.

The journal 3% has an enlarged outer end 37 provided with a rectangular tool engaging socket or recess 38 opening in the plane of the outer face of said stationary flange 1,3, A dog 39 is also pivoted to the outer face of he flange 13, and adapted to engage the peripheral teeth T0 of the said journal end 37;

With the elements positioned as illustrated in Fig. 3 and with the wedges 29 in their most separated positions, and at the opposite ends of the groove 26, a partial rotation may be imparted to the journal 3% by positioning a rectangular tool or instrument within the socket 33, which movement results in turning the block 33 and drawing inwardly the wedges 29 by means of the connecting links 36. This movement of the -wedges with the inclined faces 30 thereof sliding inwardly upon the groove faces 27 firmly engages the outer toothed faces of said wedges against the adjacent face of the rail web 14-. This wedging movement firmly locks the rail ends within the frame and between the'flanges l3 and 16 thereof, and the engagement and slight entering of said teeth into saidwebs. By reason of the engagement aforesaid, it will be seen that a separation. of the rails by reason of any calls of any relative longitudinal movements thereof is impossible. The dog 39 engaging the teeth L0 also prevents any reverse movement of the wedges and block, so that the rails are fixedly locked within the flanged frame. Vhen desired to release the rails from their interlocked connection, the dog 39 is released, and a reverse revolution is imparted to the journal 3%, thus turning the block 33, and separating the wedges. 29, which latter by riding down the inclined faces 27 become separated and released from the railwebs, the inclination of the teeth upon the wedges also allowing such a movement to take place. hen so released, the flange 16 may be removed from the frame in the manner hereinbefore described, and then the rail ends may be readily lifted ofl of the base plate 12 and entirely removed from the frame.

While the forms of the invention herein showna'nd described are what are believed to be preferable embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor the free edge of said base, a movable flange having a dove-tail rib depending from the outer edge thereof, and adapted for sliding engagement within said groove, and having a slot in its upper surface, and a perforation through the bottom of said slot, a resilient latch mounted within said slot, a bolt secured to the free end of said latch and extending through said perforation, the said base having a socket therein opening into the said d'ov'e tail groove, the said socket adapted to automatically receive the said bolt upon the assembled positioning of said movable flange upon said base.

2. A rail joint coinprising a base plate adapted for mounting the ends of adjacent rails thereon, "and having one fixed and one removable flange oppositely positioned thereon, the said fixed flange having a longitndinal groove upon its inner face andwith perforations through the end walls of said groove, and a journal opening extending outwardly substantially midway of the length of said groove, and the outer portions of said groove having inclined inner faces, wedges having inclined faces engaging the said inclined faces of the groove, and being provided "with teeth npon their outer sides, oppositely projecting studs upon the outer ends of said wedges, guidingly positioned through said endperforations, and operating means eiitending through said journal opening, and pivotally connected to the said wedges.

3. A 'r'ail joint comprising a frame adapted'to receive the end portion of adjacent rails, and having an inner longitudinal groove in one side thereof, the walls of said groove having a central side and end perforations therethroiigh, an operating means journaled through said central perforation, and having a rectangular tool engaging socket in its outer end, wedges slidably mounted in the end portions of said groove, and having their inner faces provided with teeth adapted for engaging the adjacent rail webs, end studs upon said wedges slidably mounted within said end perforations, a block fixed to the inner end of said operat ing means within the said groove, and connecting Links pivotally attached to the opposite ends of said block and to the inner ends of said Wedges.

4. A rail joint comprising a frame having a base plate and side flanges adapted to position the ends of adjacent rails therein, one of said flanges having an inwardly opening longitudinal groove, With the rear outer Wall thereof inclined at its opposite ends, Wedges slidably mounted in said groove and having inclined faces positioned upon said inclined walls, manually operable link and block connections between said Wedges adapted for imparting relative movement thereto, and a dog and ratchet for said block.

5. A rail joint comprising a base plate and a fixed flange mounted thereon, adapted to receive the adjacent end portions of rails, a movable flange having a dove-tail groove and flange connection With said base, said movable flange having a groove therein and a perforation therethrough corresponding With an indentation in the outer side of the dove-tail flange thereof, said base plate having a socket in its upper face opening into I the dove-tail groove thereof, a resilient latch Within said groove, a bolt upon the free end of said latch positioned through the perforation of the movable flange and adapted for automatic engagement Within the socket of said baseplate and Within the said indentation, When the movable flange is operatively positioned upon the baseplate, and With the ends of said movable flange in alinement With the ends of said plate.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

ANTON MADARASZ FRANK ABRAHAM.

WVitnesses MARTIN P. HUYGK, SAML. A. Howns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

